Cognitive and Emotional Processing of Social Stimuli in Children and Youth With Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Conditions
- Autism Spectrum Disorder
- Interventions
- Behavioral: PicturesBehavioral: Startle eliciting noise
- Registration Number
- NCT01322984
- Lead Sponsor
- University of Tromso
- Brief Summary
Children and youth diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) have been shown to react abnormally to social stimuli, especially to human faces. Children and youth with ASD show less interest in social stimuli, and may even avoid looking at or interact with such stimuli. It has been proposed that social stimuli elicit reactions like fear and stress in individuals with ASD, and this explains the lack of interest and avoidance. The present project investigates this hypothesis.
- Detailed Description
Not available
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- UNKNOWN
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 60
- Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders
Not provided
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Normal controls Pictures Normal children and youths Normal controls Startle eliciting noise Normal children and youths ASD Pictures Children and youths diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) ASD Startle eliciting noise Children and youths diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method The eyeblink of the Startle reflex is measured. The startle reflex will be measured in relation to picture presentations during the experiment (e.g. day 1). The startle reflex is potentiated when participants are influenced by negative emotions. Accordingly, startle will be measured in relation to picture presentation to gauge the emotional effect of the pictures. It is expected that the ASD group will show fear potentiated startle to pictures of human faces.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Department of Psychology, University of Tromso
🇳🇴Tromso, Troms, Norway